Geeking out over Gehry organ at Disney Hall

Last night, I crawled out from behind my laptop to go hear Handel’s Messiah at the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, with a few friends. The performance was beautiful, the architecture of the space was beautiful, but the coolest part of the evening by far? Geeking out over the awesome, gigantomongous, french-fry-esque pipe organ at the back of the hall. It’s comprised of more than 6,000 pipes, only a portion of which are visible. Some are conical and made of metal, others are shaped like long, slender boxes and are made of wood. The pipes range in size from ballpoint pens to palm trees. The organ wasn’t played last night, but I’m told that when it debuted privately to a group of pipe organ professionals earlier this year — they all removed their shoes so they could feel the deep bass vibrations in the floor. Image: a phonecam snapshot I took of the organ: Link to full-size. Here’s an organ FAQ, from the LA Phil’s website: Link. NPR did a cool segment about the organ’s construction and sound, here: Link. And Link to a San Diego Union-Trib article. (thanks tons, Shawn, Michael, and Cynthia!)

I got tix for a Thomas Murray organ recital there in April. Have no idea where the balcony seats are situated, but I’m very much looking forward to making my long-overdue first visit to the Disney Hall to hear that magnificent instrument.